Terrifying Renegade
by Lithiasaur
Summary: I am bad with titles. This is a darker, slow burning story about corrupted gems and finding hope. Eventual JasPearl, with some Lapidot thrown in for good measure. Finally chapter 5 is here. Sorry for the wait! Big fight and lots of drama here, so be warned! Two for the price of one! Have chapter 6, as well!
1. Chapter 1

The inner temple was always quiet, but she supposed that was easily explained. There was no one here, for one thing, but it was also sealed away from everything, accessible only by a very select number of people who either came here together or, more often than not, not at all. This room was meant for those things meant to be forgotten, sealed for the safety of everyone on Earth, as much as for their own health and futures. These were the corrupted, the damaged and the lost, kept sleeping until cures, homes, and new life could be found for them.

Or was that just what they told themselves they were doing? A way to keep focused, keep motivating, while hiding all of their problems away in this chamber, floating high overhead. Decorations, really. Could they really say they were working on a way to fix all these corrupted and damaged gems? Or were they just focused on collecting them all, removing them from play, and keeping them where it was easiest and safest for the rest of the world? But what about the souls inside these small crystals, floating in their bubble prisons?

Sometimes, Pearl came to the bubble room for a quiet moment. True enough, she had her own room in the temple that was entirely hers, only unlockable by her gem and magic, but sometimes it felt too empty. Isolated. Here, at least she knew there were others, even if they were sealed away and had no idea where they were, or that she was there with them. They were dormant, sleeping, and only the crystal gems could wake them.

At least, that was what she thought.

One of the bubbles was hovering lower to the ground than the others, as if weighed down by something. It wanted to float, like all the others, but it was being forced down, almost to eye level with Pearl. Of course, that forced her gaze toward it, and she tilted her head to the side in wonder. It was a deceptively small gem, triangular in shape, with one long point that indicated the top, and a low, angled pyramid at the bottom. It had a flat back, like half of a diamond that was upside down. Pearl recognized it immediately, not needing to get closer to it but doing so anyway.

"Jasper."

She held her hands up to guide the bubble, letting it float between her palms, but not touching it or allowing it to pop. She could reinforce Amethyst's bubble, and return it up to the ceiling with the others. She knew that the gem asleep inside that bubble was a dangerous one, one of the most dangerous enemies they had encountered so far, full of hatred for them and the Earth itself, and a strong will to do nothing but destroy. It was not her fault, not really: she was a Jasper, a Quartz: she was created to fight. And she had been damn good at her job, with the added bonus of loving what she did. At least, that was how it always seemed, and she did nothing to correct that impression if it was wrong.

Pearl knew what it was to serve a purpose, to be built for one thing. She, however, had never taken any delight in what she was, and felt compelled to break out of the mold she was set in. The life of a Pearl was a meager one, after all: they were created to serve. To make life easier for everything around them, by doing all the menial and degrading tasks no one else wanted to do. They were butlers, cleaners, servants. They opened doors, completed brainless tasks, and served as entertainment when their masters were bored. They took the blame when things went wrong, and bore the punishment whether they deserved it or not. And they were always thankful for it, knowing their place, treated like dust and grime rather than the beautiful, powerful gems they could be.

With Rose Quartz beside her, Pearl had trained herself to do a hundred things she was not created for: things that should have been impossible. She fought, though she was inherently weak and uncoordinated. She danced and fused with passion and fire. She learned everything she could, about any topic that seemed important at the time. She became good with technology, with engineering and with teaching. She not only overcame what she was designed for, proving beyond a doubt how capable even the lowest regarded gem could be, but dedicated herself to sharing what she learned. Helping those that wanted to help themselves to be more. Like Steven, and Connie, and any of the other gems that wanted to listen to her. She trained their rebels, back in the gem war, under the banner of Rose and the promise of a better life.

Like the Jasper she now held in her magic, between her hands, she had a reputation. Most of it, she had never even heard, and could hardly imagine what they used to say about her on Homeworld. Garnet had once called her a 'terrifying renegade', which she had taken pride in. Was that the same feeling Jasper got, when the Crystal Gems saw her and panic filled their eyes as they recognized her? Everyone knew who she was, and how strong and vicious she could be.

Pearl could see the corruption swirling over the otherwise perfectly cut gem. Jasper had been as close to perfect as any gem could be, despite being formed on Earth, and in a rushed, second rate Kindergarten. She burst from the ground ready to serve her purpose, with no marks of malformation or any evidence of weakness or damage from her less than ideal creation conditions. She had risen over those odds, to be the soldier everyone wanted and needed at the time. She had done everything she was meant to do, crushed every foe she encountered, lived by every ideal and rule of the Homeworld.

"We're opposites," Pearl said thoughtfully, watching the blue and green blobs, smears of ugly pollution coiling over the smooth orange of the gem. They had no business being there, Pearl realized slowly, turning the bubble around so she could see every angle. The corruption flowed not just over the gem, but through it, devouring it both inside and out. "You were everything you were meant to be, and this was your punishment. And I… I'm fine, and I did everything wrong. It almost… doesn't seem fair."

Life on Earth had made Pearl a lot more aware and receptive to her emotions than a Homeworld gem might be. She was sensitive, sometimes overly so, if what Amethyst and Peridot said about her was to be listened to. She found herself feeling sorry for Jasper, despite the fact that the massive warrior had done nothing but try to destroy them from the word go.

That was just her job. Wasn't it?

"If we find a way, I want to give you a chance to see this world. To feel the things we feel. Maybe… find a piece of yourself you didn't know existed. That's what it was like, you know. Living for Rose Quartz. Fighting for her. Not… following orders, but doing things we felt were right. Doing things because we wanted to, we felt right doing. Being free to make those choices… I promise, we'll find a way to help you experience that. Some day."

Pearl stepped back, spreading her hands to release the bubble from her magic. She had given a little more power to the bubble Amethyst had put around Jasper, to keep the gem safe and to help it float back up with the others. It responded, lifting up slowly away from her, gently moving up toward the others. She watched it go for a moment, sighing wistfully, then turned to leave. She was starting to miss the others, and felt some time with Steven was in order. He would probably say something silly and make her smile, and all these bad feelings would be gone.

That was what they fought for, at the end of the day. Love.

Pearl's progress was stopped when she heard a low, rumbling growl echo through the otherwise silent chamber. She turned, looking back up. The corrupted gem was vibrating, the sound emanating from it with increasing pitch. Pearl had to cover her ears, grimacing as the sound filled the entire chamber, shaking so violently that it brought Pearl to her knees. The bubble burst violently, not popping but exploding with a pulse of pure energy that tore through the room, throwing Pearl backwards. A thick blue smoke filled the room, acrid and dense enough to block the senses.

Unable to hear or see, Pearl pressed her hands to the floor. She slowly got to her knees again, but stopped as she felt one giant thud under her palms, followed by another. There was a long pause, then another heavy shudder through the ground as something landed from above. And another. Three? No, four. Pearl could not keep track, but the smoke was clearing and she scrambled up to her feet. The thudding stopped. Her sight returned to her, and her ringing ears cleared. Everything was still and silent, but as the smoke faded and she could look around the room, she saw what she knew would be waiting.

A monster, a corrupted beast, stood only a few feet away from her. It snarled and watched her, though she could not see its eyes under its thick, wild hair. She felt them, though, boring into her, burning with hatred and unfiltered rage. It snarled at her, digging its massive claws into the ground. Behind it, smaller in size but similar in appearance, were three other corrupted gems. All Quartz, in another life, but the smaller ones were bent and submissive to the larger one before them.

"Jasper!"

She was covered in blue and green spikes, with a massive mouth that was nothing but fangs. She stood on four feet, forgetting her human-like form in favor of this more beastly one, her gemstone still resting in place of a nose in what should have been her face. Everything was twisted, made grotesque and monstrous from the corruption, and she snarled at Pearl with so much pure rage that it made the dainty warrior shudder. Pearl reached to her own gem, nestled in her forehead, and pulled her weapon free. It burst forward with a bright light, glowing beautifully as it took form into her trusty spear. She held it in both hands, trying to hide the way her arms were shaking by bracing it defensively.

The corrupted gem watched her, that feeling of burning anger heavy on Pearl, then charged forward. The other three corrupted beasts followed suit, snarling and roaring as they moved. Pearl dove to one side, two beasts barreling by, but Jasper altered her path as if anticipating Pearl's escape. She snapped her massive jaws down on Pearl's leg, catching her mid leap and snapping her head to the side, throwing Pearl like she was nothing. Pearl slammed into a far wall, crying out in pain and falling to the ground. One of the other corrupted beasts was there waiting, biting her arm and wrenching it behind her back as if to pin her. It stood over her, keeping its weight on her back and forcing her down on her knees, bent forward because of its hold on her arm.

She was still holding her spear in her other hand, and she reacted on instinct alone. She stabbed the spear over her shoulder, behind her, catching the beast that held her in the neck and feeling the spear find purchase in its form. She changed her grip on the spear, turning her hand so she could pull the spear down like a lever with as much force as she could muster. The blade sliced through the beast's neck, causing it to burst into a cloud of smoke. Its corrupted gem fell to the ground, and Pearl fell forward now that she was suddenly released, but there was no pause in the battle for her.

Jasper was there, as Pearl get her damaged arm under her and tried to push herself back up, biting on to Pearl's shoulder and hauling her off the ground again. She let out an angry cry as she was thrown once again across the room, rolling violently over the floor until something soft stopped her. Dizzy, pained and damaged, Pearl was barely holding on to her physical form as she looked back to see what she'd bumped into. Her heart leapt into her throat as she found Steven's terrified, worried little face staring at her.

Behind him, Garnet and Amethyst stood with their weapons ready, staring with dropped jaws and wide, of the ones visible, eyes. Two corrupted beasts and Jasper herself remained in the room, ready for a battle. Garnet must have seen what was happening, as she always did, getting there in time to help protect Pearl and the temple itself from the escaped corrupted Gems.

"Steven, get Pearl out of here. Use the door, and do not come back. Do you understand me?" Garnet said calmly, though the order was dire: she did not want Steven or Pearl here for the fight, with one injured and the other… well. The other was all of their son, and they all shared the same strong desire to keep him safe. Even though he had proven time and again how strong he was, and how much like their former leader he could be. Ultimately, he was still a child, their child, and Garnet saw what could happen if he came back to face Jasper before he was ready.

She would never allow that to happen.

"I can help, Garnet!" He protested, though he was already doing his best to gather Pearl into his arms, despite his relatively small size. Pearl found herself unable to offer much help, her arm and leg feeling heavy and disconnected from her control at the moment. She leaned against him, shaking her head. She wanted to stay and help, as well, but neither of them would overcome Garnet's will.

"No. Leave. Now."

"Yeah, Steven, we've got this!" Amethyst grinned at him, trying to look reassuring. "We'll just rebubble them and meet you for dinner in a bit. No prob!" She looked up at Garnet, who did not shift her gaze from the corrupted gems, who were stalking closer and readying for an attack. Jasper seemed to be leading them with growls and directions that none of the Crystal Gems could understand. Steven, tears in his eyes, nodded as bravely as he could and picked Pearl up.

He would get her out of there, make sure she was safe, but he had every intention of coming back for the others.


	2. Chapter 2

Steven was not exactly a tall kid, so carrying someone as long limbed as Pearl, however light her body was, proved to be a difficult task. He was basically dragging her, and her being completely limp for the process was only making it more difficult for the kid. He carried her in his arms for as long as he could, then tried hoisting her over his shoulders before eventually giving up and dragging her across the floor like a sack. He had gotten her all the way out of the temple, though, and through the door back into the living room of their small, quiet home.

He huffed as he dragged her to the sofa, using his very tired, rubbery feeling arms to half lift, half roll her onto the cushions. She ended up face down, but it was the best he could do, taking a moment to catch his breath before turning to head back to the door. The gems needed him: he had not forgotten that, and he was not going to let Garnet and Amethyst fight those monsters without him. They were still out numbered, when he left: that meant they needed him there.

Pearl opened her eyes, finding herself staring into darkness, though she pushed her hands down under her and managed to discover the ground gave way a bit. It was soft. Comfortable, even. Familiar. She had some difficulty, feeling unnaturally tired, but she sat up and looked around in time to spot Steven racing to the door.

"Stop! Steven you can't go in there, it's too dangerous!"

"Pearl!" Steven listened, despite himself, if only because he was worried about Pearl as much as he was the others. He was torn, bouncing up and down in indecision for a moment as he debated his choices. Race to the door and hope to open it before Pearl could catch him, though she would probably just follow him or come through her own door to get back to the others. Plus, he was not even sure if his gem would respond to the door, as it tended to have its own ideas about when he could or could not visit his mother's room or see inside the temple. The only immediately viable choice was to stay and talk to Pearl, he came to realize, and he looked at her fearfully. "You have to open the door, they're in trouble! But. You have to stay here, too. I mean. Open the door for me and then rest!"

"Why would I do that?!" Pearl shook her head, baffled, "send you to danger when I should at the very least be accompanying you? Not that I'm going to allow you to go back in there with those things! I'll go and help them, you need to stay here. I have no idea why they thought it was necessary to drag me away from the battle with such dangerous-"

"You passed out, Pearl!" Steven interrupted her, which was jarring enough, but his words also gave her pause. She tried to understand them, but was struggling to remember exactly what happened after Jasper attacked her.

"No, Steven, that's impossible. Gems do not… 'pass out'. Our bodies don't just shut off the way yours do, with your need for sleep and food to recharge your limited energy supplies. When we're injured, we retreat into our gems to heal: you know that. There's no reason for us to… turn off momentarily."

"But that's what you did! I had to carry you all the way out here! And look, your leg is hurt!" He ran over to her, forgetting about the door for now. He put his hand on Pearl's leg, stooping down beside her as she remained sitting on the couch. She looked startled, holding her leg out so she could see the injury, and wincing as pain moved through her form. The bite mark was deep, her skin cracked and discolored where Jasper's teeth had sunk in. Pearl grimaced at the sight of it, a second pulse of burning pain, stronger than the first, telling her that the injury was serious. She hid the pain from Steven, though, not wanting to scare the young warrior any more than necessary.

"I'm fine," she said, in her most reassuring tone. Thankfully, it was one she had practiced over the years, and when Steven turned his big, concerned eyes to her for confirmation she was ready. She smiled at him warmly, lovingly, and he believed her words despite, maybe, knowing better. He could see the wound as easily as she could, after all, but she had the advantage of knowing Gems better than he did. She could explain it away, even if he did not understand it. And even if it was not exactly true.

"Garnet and Amethyst are in there with Jasper… I don't want any of them getting hurt. They'll need my bubbles to hold her, right?"

Pearl looked skeptical, but understood his logic. The Rose Quartz bubbles were stronger than any of the ones they could make, even Garnet's. If anything could hold Jasper, it would be Steven's bubbles. How she had managed to break free from her prison while still inside her gem, though, was a mystery to Pearl. One that needed to be solved, if they were to be safe in their own home once they rebubbled her. Still, the way he spoke… she heart the softness and worry in his tone. His love of his friends, his family, but also his desire to protect even Jasper. She was corrupted, after all. Pearl immediately understood that Steven was not blaming the warrior Quartz for her actions.

He wanted to help her, just as his mother would have, had she gotten a chance.

"Alright," Pearl said, getting to her feet, but keeping her weight off of her injured leg. Thankfully, her dancer's body and training allowed her to balance almost effortlessly. "We have to go back in. Just stay close to me, and don't run in to danger, no matter what is happening in the fight, okay? I know you want to help them, but those corrupted gems are dangerous. Even I was caught by surprise."

It was always a process, getting into the deeper parts of the temple, but this time it felt like it was taking an eternity. They were both very worried, going as fast as they could, though Pearl was desperately hiding her limp as she struggled just to keep up with Steven. He did not notice, too wrapped up in the battle charge. They both came running into the bubble chamber together, though Pearl already dreaded what they were going to find there. Just getting close, she noticed how very quiet it was.

There was no battle going on anymore.

Once they skidded to a stop, Pearl was disappointed to discover that she was right. There was no one in the chamber at all, save the bubbles floating high over head. They had nothing to share with the Crystal Gems below, though, none of them bearing witness to the battle from their prisons. Pearl searched the chamber while Seven ran around calling for Garnet and Amethyst, though neither method yielded any results. Pearl was hoping to find their gems on the ground: any gems. The corrupted beasts, Jasper, Garnet or Amethyst would have been fine: at least it would have given her some idea of what happened in the battle. Instead, there was nothing but claw marks and indications that the others had used their weapons and powers in the battle. Burns, scuffs, and dents littered the impromptu arena.

"Pearl…" Steven, voice exhausted from yelling and body shaking from worry, wobbled his way over to her. She sank to her knees, holding her arms open for him. He did not break his pace until he was pressed against her, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him in an effort to protect and comfort him. "Where are they?"

"I… I'm not sure, Steven. But we'll find them. Maybe the corrupted gems ran off, into the temple, and they gave chase. They're probably in one of the other rooms, trying to capture them. Remember when we let those gem shards out? How hard it was to find them all? But we did it, because we had to. This will be the same." She rubbed his back affectionately, though a creeping dread lingered in her mind. Her words did nothing to soothe her own worry, and she wondered if they failed so spectacularly for him, too. He seemed calmed, though, and she was relieved about that, if nothing else.

Pearl let Steven help her search the temple for a while, until he wore himself out and she ended up having to carry him back to the house. Her leg was hurting her quite badly, but since he was so out of it, half asleep in her arms, he did not notice her limping as she carried him. Or maybe he did, and she was just unwilling to let him approach the subject, convincing herself that it was fine. She put him to bed once they were back in the house, watching him sleep for a little while before heading back toward the temple door in the living room.

It worried her that she could not find any traces of the other Crystal Gems, and no matter where she looked, it did not seem like the fight had continued outside the bubble room. There were no more damaged areas, no burns or ditches dug by claws. Either they had been chased off somewhere, deep enough into the temple not to be obvious or easy to find, or something strange happened. She was so worried, she even checked all the bubbles in the room, in case her friends had somehow ended up among them.

But even that turned in no results. The corrupted gems, Jasper, Garnet and Amethyst were gone.

Pearl returned to the living room after another few hours of fruitless searching, sitting down slowly on the sofa. It was getting harder to walk on her damaged leg, and a heavy feeling of fatigue had fallen over her. It was such a strange sensation, as Pearl was not one of the Gems that liked to sleep for the sake of it. Amethyst and Lapis both seemed to be fans, and even Garnet and Peridot were liable to take a nap here and there, just to calm their minds. Pearl preferred to be on the go, and if she needed a moment to gather herself she opted to dance or train with her swords. Maybe bake a cake for Steven. Idle activity, in her mind, was better than actually just… idling.

The battle flashed through her mind. Jasper's corrupted form, biting her leg, damaging it in this way. She remembered the other corrupt beast had gotten her by the shoulder, but there were no markings left behind there. She could move and use her arm without any difficulty, in fact. A far more normal return to form after a fight, rather than this lingering injury. The discoloration on her leg had not changed in either direction, not getting worse or better, though the pain was constant now. She leaned back on the sofa, unable to really fight against it, as exhaustion pulled her consciousness down.

It was the second time that day that she had lost track of her own awareness. Passing out, Steven had called it. Whatever it was, and whatever it meant, it shut her down from everything else and she remained that way until she felt something shaking her arm. The shaking increased, becoming almost violent in its desperation, and a voice penetrated the darkness and silence that had settled over her mind. Steven, calling for her. Upset. Her chest tightened and she jolted awake, seized with fear, and she gripped Steven's hand protectively as she looked around the room.

"What happened? Steven? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's everyone else I'm worried about!" Steven cried, looking at Pearl with fear clear on his face. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. Beside him, his human friend Connie was also hovering, looking just as concerned, holding on to Pearl's other hand. Pearl had been sleeping on her side, having flopped over in the night at some point, though she could hardly recall even going to sleep. "You passed out again!"

"I… have Amethyst and Garnet returned yet?"

Pearl could really only focus on one problem at a time. Since her injury was not getting worse, and the pain had faded quite a bit with the rest, she was not inclined to focus too hard on it when there were far greater concerns calling her attention. Like the corrupted gems loose in the temple, and the fact that she could not find her friends. Steven shook his head, and Connie confirmed, stepping in to speak when Steven's voice failed him.

"I got here really early, my mom said it was okay. I helped Steven look around the house and the beach, but we didn't find them anywhere. We did find something weird, though, under the docks near town. We wanted to show you, but you were… very difficult to wake up, Ma'am."

Connie was very respectful to her training partner and sword master. She owed Pearl a lot, with all the work the Gem had put in to making her an efficient fighter despite just being human. Plus, she honestly cared about Pearl, and hated the idea that something had happened to her, or any of the others. Steven's family were an extension of her own, at this point, and she would do everything she could to help him be reunited with them.

Pearl moved to standing, testing her leg and finding it weak, but good enough to work with for now. She looked from Connie to Steven, bending a bit so she could rest her hands on one of each other their shoulders. She smiled, nodding her head in appreciation from one to the other.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried you. Now. Show me what you've found."


	3. Chapter 3

The two human children led Pearl to the docks near the far side of the beach, closer to the city than to their temple, though she was still not sure what they were trying to show her. Neither knew how to explain it to her, either, though Steven insisted it was a door. Connie described it by shape, telling Pearl it was a smooth stone carved into a tall half oval shape, and it looked like something from the temple. Once they reached it, Pearl quickly realized they were both rather accurate in their descriptions, as it was both a door and from the temple.

It looked solid, as if it was made of one piece of stone, with only one imperfection in its surface. Pearl kneeled close to it, running her hand over the groove, feeling its shape and shaking her head in wonder. It was a place for a lock, much like the gem activated locks on their own door at the temple, that allowed them each access to their private rooms. But this lock was missing, or maybe had never existed. Logically, Pearl wanted to assume that meant it no longer functioned as a door for anyone, but nothing from the temple was so simple.

First, she knew it had not been here before. Something like this did not go unnoticed long. Steven and Connie found it so soon after Jasper's escape, Pearl was all but certain it was related. Second, it would not come into existence without a reason. If it was a door, it had served its purpose and sealed itself shut. How it came to be, though, was beyond Pearl's understanding at the moment.

Shaking her head, Pearl looked at Steven and Connie, who had both gotten much closer than she anticipated or noticed. They were leaning together to stare at the shape she was looking at, as interested in it as she had been. Or maybe just because she had been. Either way, they were directly beside her, and she jumped a bit when she turned and nearly hit her nose on Connie's head.

"Children, please," she breathed, taking a step away from them. She wobbled, her leg threatening to give out on her, but she kept her balance by countering it like a dancer accounting for a slip of an ankle. "Steven, I believe this was a door, and it is from the temple. I'm glad you both came to show it to me, but I… at the moment, I can't divine its being here, of all times. And without Garnet here…"

"We could ask Peridot! Or Lapis! Lapis was in that mirror for so long, she has to know a lot about stuff, right And Peridot is really good with Gem Technology. Maybe we should bring it to them?" Steven was already trying to pick up the stone, which refused to move no matter how hard he pulled on it. Connie's help did not result in any movement, either. Pearl smiled despite herself, watching them strain for a moment before nodding.

"I think that's a very good idea, Steven. If this is what I think it… it could be, we will need their help to track down Jasper and the others, anyway."

Steven looked confused, though Connie understood.

"The temple opened a door for them to escape, ma'am?"

Pearl smiled, feeling a brief swell of pride. She took a lot of care to train Connie, but it was not just in swordsmanship. Connie had the makings of a true knight, with an honest heart and a sharp mind that allowed her to see the injustices of the world. Beyond that, she had the temperament to reason, to approach things logically and calmly first, before using her hard earned skills to force a conclusion. The human was dedicated to their little family, which earned a lot of trust from Pearl in return: her feelings for Steven were honest and very clear, which made her an invaluable part of their team.

"It may have," Pearl nodded. "Or rather, something in the temple was able to open a door. Steven, let's go find your father and have him give us a lift to the barn. Connie, you might want to head home before your parents become upset with you. I know how they worry when you're with us for too long."

Steven and Connie exchanged a look that Pearl, thankfully, missed. Though Connie would go home for now, she fully intended on helping them with the search, and Steven silently promised her, with a tap of his cell phone for emphasis, that he would let he knew when they were ready to head out. It would be easier, bringing Lapis and Peridot back here rather than taking the stone to them. Steven thought they could just contact the other gems and ask them to fly over, instead of going to get them in the van, but maybe Pearl wanted to visit the barn for a different reason.

It did not take too long for Pearl and Steven to convince Greg to give them a ride to the barn. He liked to be involved in their adventures, whether he said so or not. Really, he just wanted to keep an eye on his son, and make sure the Rose Quartz he had inherited from his mother was not getting him into too much trouble. It always was, of course, even with the Crystal Gems protecting him. Not that he needed all of them looking after him all the time: Steven was growing more and more into a capable, strong young man, and a powerful, loyal fighter. He was growing up too fast, as far as Greg was concerned, but he knew Rose would have wanted it this way. She would be so proud of the little guy, really, though they never got the chance to meet.

Pearl asked Steven and Greg to stay in the van while she went to recruit Lapis and Peridot, though Steven wanted to go. She promised it would only take a few moments, and Greg stepped in to convince Steven it was okay and they could just chill for a couple of minutes. He watched Pearl walk away, noting the limp she was trying to hide, and had not missed the wince when she said she wanted to go alone. He'd jumped in to help her because he sensed there was something more going on, something she did not want Steven to know about, and his parental instincts told him to support her in this cause. He would have to ask her about it all later, though, when he got the chance. For now, he asked Steven to tell him about everything that happened leading up to this trip.

That would at least distract the kid while Pearl was away.

The Crystal Gem approached the barn slowly, looking around the fields first just in case the duo of Homeworld Gems were out farming. They'd taken up quite a few strange habits since taking up residence on Earth, but it seemed to keep them happy, and Pearl was thankful they both had learned to love the Earth for what it was. Even Peridot, the most unlikely of recruits, had taken to life on this planet like a fish to water. They were not in their farm, though, so Pearl peeked her head into the barn, knocking her hand lightly against the frame of the large, open door.

The duo were sitting near the center of the room, some pieces of metal and electronics between them. They were building something together, it looked like, though Lapis did not seem all that interested in the endeavor. Her expression, Pearl noted, did not change much when she looked up and recognized their guest, though she nodded vaguely in Pearl's direction. Peridot glanced up after finishing fixing two pieces together with care, noticing Pearl and hopping to her feet. She dropped what had been a very interesting task as if she no longer cared about it, full attention leaping from it to Pearl in a heartbeat.

"The Pearl! Welcome!" She hurried over, looking past Pearl and searching behind her for a moment before looking at her. "Is it just you? That is disappointing. Where is Amethyst? The fusion?"

"That's uhm, that's why I'm here, actually. Can we go inside?"

Peridot saw the van, and Steven staring out from the passenger side window. He waved at her, and she frantically waved back, then looked at Pearl and realized this was probably why she wanted to go inside. She was… hiding something from her Steven? That seemed strange, but Peridot had worked very hard to try and not be surprised by the things she considered odd at this point. It was a better approach than being stressed and confused all the time, anyway. If she could, she would detach herself like Lapis, but that skill came with a lot of emotional baggage that Peridot was not prepared to deal with. She had a hard enough time dealing with Lapis', as a roommate.

Peridot took her place next to Lapis on the floor, motion for Pearl to sit opposite them. She did, though she went slowly due to the pain in her leg. She breathed a heavy sigh once she was seated, raising her eyes to engage the others and finding them both staring at her. Even Lapis looked interested now, eyes wide and one eyebrow raised.

"I was hurt in a fight with some corrupt Gems," Pearl explained, feeling strangely self conscious. Peridot did not bother getting up again, opting instead to crawl on all fours over to Pearl to investigate her leg close up. Pearl winced, as Peridot's touch was not exactly careful. She examined the damage like she might a piece of broken equipment. "They got away, somehow, and we believe they took Garnet and Amethyst with them. I… I was hoping you might help Steven and I… Peridot, that really hurts."

Peridot looked up, dropping Pearl's leg abruptly and holding up her hands in confusion. "It does? Curious!"

Lapis said nothing, not even looking at the duo now. She was staring off to the side, eyes downcast and half lidded.

"There's something else, a door. I believe Steven's gem opened it to allow the Quartz to escape, but I have never seen anything like it before. We've certainly never used one like it. I wanted to show it to you, Peridot, to see if you could figure it out. Or… Lapis… if you've seen it. Do you… do you think you could help us? If you know anything about this injury that… that would be helpful, too…"

"You mean from all that time you kept me in the mirror," Lapis Lazuli replied dimly, turning her eyes toward Pearl without turning her head. She watched the other gem from the corner of her eyes, her expression sharp with pain she was unable to get over, no matter how hard she tried. No matter how hard her life here on Earth was making her. She still carried some anger towards Pearl, blaming her for knowing she was being kept in that Mirror, but keeping her sealed away like a tool to be used and nothing else. Pearl maintained her innocence, but neither found a way to forge more stable footing than a tepid, distant acquaintance. Now, though, Pearl needed her help.

The knowledge she might have acquired while in that mirror could, she hoped, explain some of the things they were dealing with now.

Pearl could only nod, quiet. Lapis did not reply, until Peridot scooted closer to her and put her hand as subtly as she could over Lapis'. The blue gem curled her fingers against the floor of the barn, Peridot's hand over the new fist, then got up and pulled away from her. She tensely walked up to Pearl, looking down at her with a scowl. Pearl watched her, arm raised in case defense was needed, but Lapis dropped to her knees and carefully, with a far gentler touch than Peridot, looked over the injury.

"This was caused by a corrupted gem?"

"By Jasper," Pearl murmured, thinking she was just sinking herself further into the murky quagmire that were Lapis' traumas. The mirror aside, Lapis had spent a long time trapped under the ocean as a Malachite, fused with Jasper and fighting to keep her restrained. Those were not memories she was fond of revisiting, either, and the sharp look she fixed Pearl was enough evidence of that. Pearl did her best to look apologetic. "She escaped from her bubble, a corrupted beast, and attacked me. Others followed her lead, quite literally, and Garnet and Amethyst took the fight over when I… well. I lost consciousness. Which I did not even think I would be able to do, and I'm not certain why it happened, as my gem was under no strain, like the time you were sleeping after unfusing with Jasper. I… uh. Sorry."

"It's fine. We have to talk about it at some point. Was the damage this discolored when it happened?" Lapis touched her fingers lightly to the bite marks, which had darkened around the puncture areas, with dark, almost black cracks spreading out from the wound site. Pearl shook her head, straining to remember what it had looked like at first.

"I… I don't think so. I thought if the injury was severe enough, I would simply reform…"

Peridot moved to stand beside Lapis, shaking her head as she pondered the damage and watched, with only mild and mostly unwarranted jealousy as Lapis continued to very gently examine the wound with her hands. Her touch was feather light, but she saw the way Pearl winced and twitched with each touch. The pain seemed worse around the injury, but the fact that it also spread out with the blackening cracks was unfavorable.

"I think this could be Corrosion," Lapis said softly, taking her hands back and resting them in her lap.

"Corruption," Peridot corrected.

"No. Corrosion. Your form is being degraded, from the gem out. Reforming won't do anything. It could make it worse if you do get more damaged, and have to reform. It could destroy you entirely, and shatter your gem. The way it is now… it will keep eating at you, until eventually the same thing happens. Either way, your gem will shatter."


	4. Chapter 4

The drive back to the beach was fairly quiet. Steven seemed oblivious to the tension, and tried to chat with Lapis and Peridot as they rode in the back of the van with him, with Pearl taking the passenger side seat from him, but only Peridot really responded. Pearl was barely listening, staring out the window, while Lapis kept glancing toward her despite her best efforts not to. She promised not to draw any unnecessary attention to things… beyond Steven's understanding. Pearl asked them both not to say anything. So far it was working, but Greg kept casting sidelong glances at Pearl, which she went out of her way to ignore.

Once they reached the dock, Peridot and Lapis looked over the strange stone, though Pearl's information on it was really all they could divine from it, as well. They agreed that it was a door, that the temple either created it or had it hidden the entire time. It was uncleared if it was opened by a Crystal or a Corrupted Gem, or how. Despite their best efforts, none of the assembled gems could get it to open again. Not even Steven, whose Rose Quartz gem had more power in the temple than they truly understood.

"This was a wasted trip," Peridot complained, "but don't worry. Lapis can just fly us back. Sorry we could not be of more help, though I was unclear what you thought we would be able to do for you."

"I'm not a flight service," Lapis grumbled, though it was only a half hearted protest. She was distracted by Pearl, and the way she was trying to hide her damaged leg from the humans. The corrosion would progress beyond what she could hide, though, and they would find out at a dire time that something terrible was wrong. Would it be better for them to face it when there was no chance to do anything about it? Lapis did not think so, thinking the truth was the better option, and feeling very tempted to tell Steven Pearl's real reason for getting her and Peridot involved.

"So we're back to knowing nothing, then," Pearl said thoughtfully, folding her arms over her chest and frowning at the stone. "There don't seem to be any tracks to follow, if they did come out from here. They did not walk through the sand, though they could have gone up onto the dock and through town. Maybe we should ask around there? I believe the humans would be very forthcoming about witnessing monsters running through their streets."

"Or maybe Lion could help!" Steven chimed suddenly, "I'll go get him! He can smell them! He knows Garnet and Amethyst, maybe he'll help us find them!"

"That's a very good idea, Steven," Pearl smiled, nodding her permission as Steven leaped away to run back toward their home. Pearl watched him go, as Lapis walked a bit closer.

"You should tell him," she said blandly, though it was still enough to make Pearl jump. She had not noticed her approach, and Lapis had a way of moving very quietly. Graceful, fluid, much like the water she controlled. She leveled a stern, but almost pleading, look at Pearl.

"It's best not to trouble him with more than one problem at a time. He gets very stressed out, and we need him to focus on Garnet and Amethyst for now."

"You're protecting him because you think he'll be upset," Lapis countered. Peridot was watching from a couple of feet away, pretending to look the stone over some more, trying to examine it for anything reminiscent of Homeworld technology, but the conversation was distracting her. She felt bad for the Pearl, in a way, as that kind of damage was only something she had heard about in theory before. A consequence of Gems away from Homeworld, often spoken about as an urban legend rather than something that could really happen. While seeing evidence of it actually existing was very interesting, it was also a shame it had to be someone she had come to consider an almost friend.

Of the three Crystal Gems (and the Steven), Pearl was the most obnoxious, but also the one that challenged Peridot's intelligence and ingenuity the most. She was a good engineer and a startlingly skilled gem, considering what she was built for. She made it seem possible that one could do… anything at all, really, if they worked hard enough at it. Peridot had simply excelled at what she was made to do, because that was all she thought she wanted. The concept of being different had never occurred to her until coming to earth. And it had not really sunk in until she saw Pearl at her best. It dragged out a kind of begrudging respect, which had blossomed slowly into a distant, reluctant kind of affection.

Almost friendship.

"It won't help him to know, Lapis. Please, let him focus on helping the others. They need him more than I do: you two are the only ones that could help me, and you know about it. That should be enough. I'm asking you to please, please, keep this between us."

Lapis was not sure if she felt obligated enough to listen to the plea. She struggled with old, lingering bitterness, but also knew what leaving out pieces of the truth could do to a person. She had seen lies used to help before, but there was always someone getting hurt because of them. It was a pain that Lapis did not wish on anyone, but likewise she was in no hurry to hurt Steven. He was the first to try to understand her, to reach out to her and be her friend. He was the reason she got out of the mirror, and why she had decided to stay on earth.

She wanted to protect him, yes, but she also wanted to be honest with him. As honest as he always had been with her. For now, she fell silent, but was not yet decided on how long that silence would last. Pearl looked thankful, accepting it as a momentary truce and understanding. She lifted her hand and was almost touching Lapis's arm, opening her mouth to say something important if her expression was any indication, but they were interrupted by a high pitched, excited laugh. It cut through the air, the sound racing toward them and then away, Lion and Steven charging by them without breaking their breakneck pace.

"HE'S FOLLOWING THEM!" Steven yelled back to them, his voice curling around uncontrolled laughter and excitement, clinging to his beloved lion and letting the magical beast take the lead.

"Steven, slow down!" Pearl yelped, charging forward to run after him. Her leg ached in protest, and she was slowed because of it, but two hands grabbed her under her armpits and hauled her off the ground. She looked up to see Lapis, water wings extended and giving them height, and Peridot on her back, whooping like a maniac, pointing in the direction Steven and Lion were charging in.

It was much easier to keep up with him this way, despite Lapis carrying the three of them. Their bodies were manifestations of light, after all, and did not weigh as much as they might have appeared. Even if they were more solid, Pearl and Peridot were not exactly the largest gems around. Lapis seemed untroubled, focusing on following Lion, who seemed to speed up even further when he realized the gems could keep up.

Lion ran far from Beach City, out across the fields that flanked it and moved further inland. He took them deep into the forest, following the scent of the other gems as if he could see them, just out of reach. Lapis had a harder time flying in the forest, and once the cover of the trees became too think, she had to put her passengers down. Landing carefully, she set Pearl down first, then looked over her shoulder to find Peridot still clinging to her.

"You can run on your own," Lapis informed her, following Pearl's lead as they continued to chase after Lion.

"My short legs are not designed for efficiency in running, or even sprinting over short distances. I would bring the median speed of the group down, and cause us to lose sight of our target. This is the most economic and intelligent method of pursuit!"

Plus, Lapis imagined, Peridot just liked being able to catch a ride. She rolled her eyes, but allowed the smaller, green gem to keep to her baby koala impersonation for now. Pearl was running ahead of them, either forcing herself to be able to run through the pain her injury was causing her, or, less likely, it was not hurting her at the moment. Either way, there was no immediately clear limp to her step.

Lion careened out of the line of trees and slammed his front paws into the ground, skidding to a long, slow stop and pitching his body forward, throwing Steven from his back as he came to a stop just short of a sudden drop. It was not exactly a cliff face, so much as a steep hill that rolled down into a very narrow valley. Lion was rolling on his back in the grass as Pearl darted by him and leapt into the sky after Steven, with Lapis spreading her wings of water just behind them.

Pearl caught Steven, though he was already starting to gently float down to the ground below. She hung on to him and Lapis shot passed, turning around to fly back to them and give them a vaguely annoyed, confused look. Here she thought she was going to have to catch Pearl, who had no business leaping off of anything at the moment, considering the damage it could cause. Pearl, likewise, had only been trying to save Steven from hurting himself in the fall down into the valley.

Steven, of course, had his mother's ability to control his jumps and falls, floating back down toward the ground with Pearl hanging off of him. She took the time to hug him tightly, arms wrapped around his shoulders anyway. She did not need to tell him that she wanted him to be more careful, but she did so anyway. Repeatedly, in a high pitched and upset tone, all the way down to the ground.

Lapis landed a little before Steven, looking up and watching them as they settled gently beside her. She reached back and grabbed Peridot, forcing her to let go and dropping her to the ground. The four exchanged looks, and Pearl summoned her weapon from her gem. She felt dizzy from the action, wobbling for a moment, but Lapis was beside her quickly and supported her by standing close, without making a show of it. Pearl leaned her shoulder against the blue gem's, taking a moment to collect herself.

"It seems Lion did not want to accompany us down here, but his hesitance indicates the highly dangerous corrupted gems are likely gathered here for shelter. It is a very good, defensible position, with its high slopes making ambush from outsiders unlikely, while we, on foot, are forced to maintain the lower ground. We likewise have our unfamiliarity with the terrain to contend with, giving them another advantage of being able to attack us from the trees or the bushes all around." Peridot was analyzing the area out loud, frowning at the data she perceived, though she was not a combat oriented gem. Information was her business, though, and knowing a battlefield was almost as important as being able to swing a sword.

She looked back at the others, to continue her grim report, but the two angry glares and one terrified set of wide, human eyes made her stop. She cleared her throat, knowing this was one of those times where she said too much, too clearly. Information, she was learning, was regarded differently here on Earth and sometimes observations, however factual they were, could be taken negatively and thus go unappreciated.

"Uh. But the chances of them being so near to the entrance of the valley itself is unlikely. We will… be able to find them before they find us?"

Pearl patted Steven on the head reassuringly, and he took a deep breath. Puffing up his chest, he pointed into the valley forest with a grim look of determination.

"My friends are in there, and I'm going to find them! Let's go, guys!" He charged forward, and Pearl followed him quickly. She kept her spear at the ready, tense and keeping what Peridot said about ambushes in mind. Lapis was next, though Peridot was quick to position herself directly next to her water wielding friend, knowing she would be more useless than normal if she got separated from the group at this point. Something told her there would not be many random pieces of metal for her to control and try to throw at any enemies they encounter.

A growl with a distinct echo stopped them in their tracks. The secondary growl continued much longer than the initial one, and another started somewhere in the middle of it. There were no echoes at all, but three distinct voices, much to the dismay of every gem listening.

"I may," Peridot said, clinging to Lapis' leg and looking up at the trees frightfully, "have been incorrect in my that last deduction."


	5. Chapter 5

"Steven, bubble!" Pearl yelled, though she hardly needed to tell him. He was already covering his head, holding his hands up over his head and spreading as big a defensive bubble around him, and everyone nearby, to protect them from the surprise attack. The barrier shimmered pink in the flecks of sun light that managed to pierce the tree canopy, though those few lights were blotted out as bodies fell from the trees and down onto the barrier itself. The Corrupted Quartz attacked in unison, four hitting the barrier almost at the same moment, before bouncing off and landing on the ground. Two more came down from the trees behind them, following by one massive one that landed directly on the top of the bubble but did not jump off like the others.

The group found themselves staring up at the corrupted form of Jasper, who snarled down at them viciously. The six Quartz on the ground prowled around the edge of the bubble, staying equal distances apart from one another in an almost military fashion, organized and focused. There were more than at the Temple, which was a surprise and a concern to Pearl immediately. She had no idea how many more there could be, and had come assuming it would be the same group from the temple.

And dealing with them was hard enough. Having more of these beasts, all following orders from Jasper, only stacked the odds even more against the Crystal Gems.

Peridot clung to Lapis' leg, though she shook the smaller Gem off and gave her a look. Peridot looked up at her and caught her eyes, nodding and getting into a battle stance despite not having a weapon to draw. Lapis reached out to the trees, finding moisture in the leaves to use as her initial attack. Pearl had her spear ready, and Steven summoned his shield. He waited to release the bubble, knowing without asking that Pearl was calculating their first attack.

She looked to Lapis, who understood the gist of Pearl's hand motions. She indicated the lower Quartz, while Pearl herself looked up toward Jasper. She lifted her spear and leaped, yelling for Steven.

"Bring it down!"

The battle truly began the moment Steven followed that direction. He broke the barrier, removing the ground that Jasper had been standing on from under her feet. She was expecting it, her massive body falling forward, claws outstretched toward Pearl as the much smaller Gem rocketed up to meet her. She jabbed her spear forward, but Jasper pulled her head to the side, dodging out of the way of the powerful thrust. Pearl anticipated it, the move sending Pearl moving up and past Jasper, who was now falling slightly to the side. Jasper curled her body, snapping at Pearl with her terrible jaws and fangs, but the lithe Crystal Gem twirled in the air, pulling her body back in an arch and kicking her feet up above her. She managed to completely alter the direction of her jump, holding her spear straight out and blasting Jasper in the face with a beam of light.

She had never been intending on stabbing the beast with her spear, anyway and needed to get close in order to surprise her with a powerful bolt of light right to the face. It slammed into her jaw without Jasper having time enough to react, throwing her off her already altered trajectory and causing her to fall to the ground in a heap. She skidded across the ground, leaving a long gash with her claws as she immediately worked to right herself.

Pearl was still in the air, falling down to the ground after completing her flip and angling her feet down to catch herself lightly. She was unable to make contact, though, before Jasper came careening back at her, tackling her with her massive claws racked forward, slashing her across her chest before slamming into her bodily and sending both of them crashing through the trunks of two trees.

While Pearl was facing off with Jasper, Lapis had her hands full with keeping the six Quartz beasts at bay. She followed what she took to be the direction Pearl gave her, pulling all the moisture she could from the forest leaves and underbrush, creating puddles on the floor around them that she used to ensnare the feet of the charging beasts once the barrier fell. She caught four this way, though she was hard pressed to hold them all at one time. Two managed to leap over or around the puddles, though, and charged.

Steven lifted his shield and ducked behind it as a Quartz bore down on him, holding it back by pushing the shield into its face to keep its jaws away from him. It swiped at him wildly with its claws, though, and he found himself wishing Connie was there to fight alongside him. She was usually pretty good about being the attack to his defense: but he had to be able to stand on his own. His mother had been able to, and she had all the powers he did.

"I'm not going to let you hurt any more of my friends!" Steven yelled, planting his feet and pushing a bubble around him suddenly. It burst into existence and solidified with enough force to knock the Quartz he was dueling away from him. It turned and leaped immediately, wild and undaunted, and spikes leapt forward all around the bubble. It slammed into them, one piercing through its jaw and into its face, arresting it in its attack. Its paws fell limply, and Steven stared up at the injured corrupted gem with wide eyes before it burst into orange smoke and its gem clattered off of Stevens bubble and to the floor.

Steven broke his barrier, staring at the gem and feeling tears stinging his eyes. He hated hurting anyone, but felt particularly bad for the corrupted beasts. They did not know what they were doing: most of them did not even know who they were any more. But he knew they could be reached, they could even be saved. He'd seen it, so long ago now, when he helped the Centipeetle. He had only been able to half cure her corruption, and even that wore off, but it showed him hope.

He wanted to save all of these gems, not destroy them. He picked up the gem and clasped it tightly in his small hands, promising silently to do whatever he could for it. It was a promise he made every day, every time they poofed some corrupted gems to add to the temple, but this time he really meant it. He created a bubble, small but strong, around the gem, but stopped himself before tapping the top of it and sending it back to the temple.

That was where all this started. Until they could really make sure things would not happen this way again, it was probably not a good idea to just send them back there. He condensed his bubble with some focus, bringing it as tightly around the small gem as he could, then put it in his pocket.

Hopefully, while in that bubble, it would not be able to reform. Or he was going to have a very unique pants problem.

"Peridot, do something useful!"

Steven turned when he heard Lapis calling out. The blue gem was holding her ground, controlling her water puddles and keeping the gems she had captured from moving or attacking. It was difficult, the four points of focus drawing too much attention at one time, but she was managing to maintain her hold for now. There was one free one, who was circling on Peridot and snarling at her as if it realized she was the potential weak link in this team.

Peridot hated not having any powers to speak of. She wanted a weapon and the ability to change into whatever she wanted, but so far she only managed to find two things she could do. While it had been super exciting at the time, she learned rather quickly that knowing how to bubble gems and having the power to control metal was not as useful in a fight as she would have hoped. Especially in a forest, where metal was not readily available.

She watched the Quartz, pulling a face as it charged at her. Every instinct told her to leap out of the way and run like hell, but that would leave Lapis open for attack. Peridot was not created for battle, but she was also not going to leave her friend in danger. Particularly when it had been so hard to convince Lapis they were, in fact, friends. She would be damned to throw that all away now, when they were finally getting along and coexisting peacefully in the barn! Besides, going home alone sounded like a horrible idea.

It dawned on her that she would rather not go home at all, then go back to the barn without Lapis Lazuli with her.

Though terrified, Peridot planted her feet and lifted her hands defensively, watching the beast as it barreled toward her. She calculated its speed, its angle, and saw, to her own surprise, an opening in its loping gait. Knowing her own limitations, based on her size and the design of her legs, she waited until the monster was close enough before she leaped up and then brought both of her feet smashing down onto the Quartz' head. She slammed it down into the ground jaw first, with a whoop of triumph. The corrupt gem was far from defeated, though, throwing its head back and launching Peridot off of it like a catapult.

"Whoooaaaa!" Peridot yelped, sailing through the air for a moment before crashing into the branches of a nearby tree. She grabbed onto them, keeping herself from falling out of the branches just in time. The Quartz chased her as she struggled in the tree, waiting underneath and snapping at her feet as she dangled. It lashed out, catching her leg with its claws and digging in enough to violently pull Peridot from the tree, slamming her into the ground and pinning her there with its massive paw. It was so much bigger than the green gem, there was no way for Peridot to struggle free of is powerful weight as it bore down on her back.

Steven's shield smashed into the beast's side hard enough for something to crack loudly, the shield bursting and vanishing, and the corrupted gem falling to the side before poofing into a harmless gem. Peridot scrambled to her feet, Steven running over in time to help her up.

"Are you okay, Peridot?" he asked, though his eyes were sparkling in that way that told Peridot she had done something right. She smiled at him and nodded, though her focus was drawn as Lapis let out a scream. One of the beasts had broken free of her hold and reached her, though she was unable to move too much without risking the others breaking free as well. It bit down hard on her arm, dragging her down and knocking her from her focus. The water surrounding the other corrupt gems dropped, freeing them. Two charged at Lapis, though the other turned abruptly and ran into the forest.

"Lapis!" Steven and Peridot cried in unison, both running toward her and forgetting the corrupted gem on the ground. They would come back for it later, if and when they were done with this battle and everyone was safe.

Lapis was not helpless, despite the danger of her situation. She pulled the water from the puddles and as the corrupted gems closed in on her, formed them into spikes above their heads. She clenched her fist and slammed the near solid water down into her attackers, the surface tension pulled so tightly that the water did not burst from its form until she released her hold on it. Two of the corrupted gems burst into smoke, including the one that was holding on to her arm, but the third was still on its feet. It dodged out of the way of the water, and charged at her without pause or fear of any kind. It saw its kind being defeated, but that meant nothing to it.

It only wanted to do one thing, and that was destroy these invaders.

The corrupted gem reached her before Peridot and Steven could get to it or cut it off. It snarled and bit her on the back of the neck, picking her up from the ground and turning suddenly to stare down Peridot and Steven. They stopped short, seeing that Lapis was unable to fight back from the hold the beast had on her. It was biting into her neck, not holding her with any care. She was less a kitten being carried by the scruff and more a prey creature being dragged off by its hunter.

Despite the duo stopping and not offering any threat to the corrupted gem, it snapped its jaws down on Lapis' neck. Only a stunted gasp left her throat as pain tore through her suddenly, but was just as suddenly gone. She rolled her terrified eyes toward the others, who were mouthing her name at her as if screaming, but she heard no sounds. Her eyes rolled back and her body lost its form, collapsing into smoke and leaving a tear drop shaped gem in the Corrupted Quartz' mouth.

"LAPIS!" Peridot screeched, charging forward with no plan. Steven caught her around the waist, hauling her backwards and hugging her tightly to keep her from running into danger. The Quartz snarled and turned, running away from them abruptly, and taking Lapis with it. "No, no, no! Steven, we must give chase! I will not allow it to take her! Release me!"

She shoved Steven away from her as hard as she could, and he was torn between stopping her again or letting her go. He felt the same pain and fear she did, and was not sure what to do. He wanted to ask Garnet, because she always knew what to do, even when it seemed impossible. Peridot was already running off, and Steven snapped out of his pained daze with a yelp, giving chase for only a few steps before another scream stopped him short, followed by a hollow, twisted and vicious roar.

Pearl. Jasper


	6. Chapter 6

Pearl heard the yelling and screaming, but had to trust in her friends to hold their own. Her own battle was taking too much of her time, and she had no way to help them while Jasper was on the loose. The powerful tackle had left both gems reeling, and Pearl got to her feet slowly, shoving a tree away from her. She had painful claw marks down her chest, which she was currently unable to heal or clean up. Their forms were based on manipulation of light, and damage could be removed without having to reform entirely, but only when there was time to spare such energy to the task. With the damage to her leg and the Corrosion that was plaguing her, Pearl was unsure about wasting any of the power she had left in her Gem.

Jasper hauled herself upright from under one of the felled trees, throwing it backwards with a massive crash. She stood on her two back feet, shoulders hunched forward, body sagging as her powerful, dangerous claws hung down in front of her. She stared at Pearl, snarling and furious, then charged. Pearl pulled her spear forward and fired at Jasper, but the beast jumped up and over the bolt of light, falling down on Pearl from above and sinking her teeth into Pearl's shoulder and neck. Pearl screamed in agony, stabbing her blade upward frantically, her fighter instincts guiding her, and feeling it sink into Jasper's belly.

Jasper refused to let go, clenching her jaw tighter, causing more pain to course through Pearl. She realized she was no longer standing on her own volition, her legs having given out on her. It was Jasper's jaws that were keeping her upright, dragging her around and shaking her violently while she struggled to keep hold of her spear alone. It was her lifeline, and the only thing keeping her from losing the fight completely. She let out a cry and forced the spear to power up one more time, her own gem throbbing with light and dimming dangerously as she did so, pouring the last of her energy into the weapon and blasting three successive bolts of light up into Jasper's body.

She felt the vice like grip on her shoulder loosen, crumpling to the ground now that she was left to support her own weight. She could not feel her legs, and barely registered the change in position, staring up at Jasper as the beast stumbled backwards. Pearl let go of her spear, deeply imbedded in Jasper as it was, and the corrupted gem wrapped her claws around it. She pulled it out with a vicious, feral scream, and Pearl was shocked to almost hear Jasper's voice in it, though everything else had been nothing but bestial sounds. Her voice was just as corrupted and twisted as the rest of her body, but in that one moment it rang out clearly.

"Jasper…" Pearl breathed, but the sound was lost under the cacophony Jasper was creating. Jasper lunged at her, stabbing the spear down at her vengefully but missing broadly with her wild swing. She stumbled, jerked forward, and fell heavily on top of Pearl, unable to attack her but pinning her down under the weight of her corrupted form. It vanished soon enough, Jasper bursting into smoke and retreating into her gem, which fell harmlessly onto Pearl's chest.

Pearl was laying on her back, the world still around her. She could not hear anything, and only felt throbbing, relentless pain through her body. She opened her eyes, but her vision was blurry and darkened, and she was unable to even make out the lines of the trees she knew were around her. She dragged her hand up her body with difficulty, finding Jasper's gem and gripping it as tightly as she could. The battle was over, but Pearl had taken more damage than she wanted to. She was still unable to reform, and from the corner of her eyes she could see a dark smudge on her shoulder where Jasper had been biting her.

"What if this was how we were meant to be," she mumbled to the gem, or to herself. Neither were listening. "I'm sorry. For everything."

The Corrosion was getting worse, already inflicting these new injuries, or perhaps caused by them and only adding to what was already there. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks slowly, though she was unsure who she was crying for, darkness crashing over her. She felt herself being shaken, someone lightly clinging to her side, but she found herself unable to respond.

"Pearl! Pearl!"

Steven had never felt so panicked in all his life. First, seeing Lapis getting poofed and carried off, and now finding Pearl in this condition. He hardly knew what to think, and tears filled his eyes as he shook her. He had never seen any of the gems get hurt like this before, now that he could clearly see her shoulder and the injury on her leg that she had somehow managed to hide from him until now. She told him it was fine, and he assumed it would go away like the damage they took in their missions always did! They were strong, and magical, and couldn't be hurt! That was what he always wanted to believe, because it made him feel safe. Not for himself, but knowing that they would always be okay.

It was childish, yes, but he was simply a child.

And in that moment, he felt like one. Helpless and confused, and terrified of being left alone. Peridot had run off, and they had not yet been able to find Garnet or Amethyst. Pearl was the last one left, and she was…

"Pearl, don't die!"

Steven moved to take her hand, and Jaspers gem fell away from her palm. He watched it fall, then bent to pick it up. Tears were flowing down his face and he scowled at the gem.

"This is all your fault! I wanted to help you! We all did! And look what you did! You ruined everything!" Steven was yelling, but he did not feel the anger in his words. He couldn't blame Jasper, his heart not allowing him to. He wanted to be furious, wanted to make her the bad guy she always seemed to be, but this time it had not been her. She was corrupted, and if he blamed her, decided she was evil, he would have to do that to all the gems his mother had ever wanted to save.

Grimacing, he hugged the gem to him. His tears fell on to it, rolling off its smooth surface. He noticed that it looked like there were dried tears already on it.

"Steven…"

He jumped when he heard Pearl, dropping the gem and grabbing her hand in both of his. He held on to it tightly, and she watched him with a smile. She was proud of him, as if she knew what was going on in his mind. She'd seen it with Rose a hundred times. The battle between guilt and doing what was right, staying true to beliefs and vows while struggling through the hardships those ideals brought. Loved ones inevitably suffered, and resolve shook because of it, but Rose never quit. Pearl got the feeling that Steven would follow those footsteps, and even surpass the great things Rose had been able to do.

"Are… are you okay?"

Pearl grimaced, not sure how to answer that question. No, she was definitely not okay. There was no hiding it now, either, but she never set out to deceive Steven. She was trying to protect him, as she always was, even though now it seemed to have just caused him even more pain. She nodded her head, though, despite herself, and hoped he would believe it.

"I've been damaged," she said softly, wincing as she tried to sit up. Steven helped her to, able to scoot her just enough so she could lean on one of the felled trees from the battle. She sighed, resting back against it. "It may have damaged my Gem. I… I'm running out of energy, but I just need to rest. Just for a little while… where are Peridot and Lapis Lazuli?"

Steven ignored her question, hoping to his feet and moving to her. She watched him with wide eyes as he determinedly took her head in his hands, and pressed a kiss to her gem. She closed her eyes, almost believing for a moment that his resolve would help, but nothing happened. She felt no better, and her injuries remained on her form. Her gem showed no improvement, dull and lifeless as it was. He looked upset and confused, sinking to his knees next to her.

"I'm supposed to be able to heal gems…" he whispered, and the crushing disappointment in his voice made Pearl's chest tighten.

"It will be alright, Steven," she tried to reassure, reaching her hand weakly for his. He moved to take it again, but his attention was drawn by the gem glowing in the grass not too far away. Pearl followed his gaze, and drew in a hissing breath when she spotted Jasper's gem beginning to expand and take shape. "She's reforming! Steven, be ready!"

Steven, shaken and upset, got to his feet and called his shield to him. He stood protectively in front of Pearl, who was trying to get to her feet but was barely able to shift her body. She was a determined fighter, though, and never gave up so long as she was formed. Since retreating into her gem was not an option, she had to keep fighting. For her friends. For Steven. For Rose Quartz.

Jasper's body took shape underneath the bright glow of the gem. When she opened her eyes, the light faded, and she stared at Steven and the injured Pearl, her mind slowly turning. She remembered them. Remembered what happened here in the forest, and in the temple. She could not remember between then and the canyon in the Kindergarten, though, and she knew that was what fueled most of her fury before. In that moment, she could not feel that anger, or the hunger for revenge that had fueled her every step what felt like minutes ago. She felt entirely different.

Looking down at her hands, she found no claws. She stood upright, proud, long, white hair falling down her back and over her shoulders. Her piercing yellow eyes searched her hands, one orange, one darker, just as they had been before her corruption. She turned her gaze on Steven, then Pearl. Under the anger rising in her, she knew they were the ones responsible for this. She remembered Pearl's voice, while she was trapped inside her gem. More than once, though the words were lost on her now. And today, just a moment ago, she had spoken. And Steven, too, yelling at her and yet crying for her.

They were confusing, and she growled at them.

"What have you done to me, Rose Quartz?" she snarled, though she knew that this was not the leader of the rebellion, as she had known her. The one who shattered Pink Diamond, the one who could never be forgiven. The Crystal Gems defended him just the same, but he was some abomination created between a human and a gem. He carried her powers, her legacy, and she knew him to be no better than her. Why, then, had he cried?

"Jasper, wait!"

"No! I've been your prisoner long enough!"

She surged forward, though her anger was born of confusion and fear. She pulled her fist back and brought it down as hard as she could at Steven, who lifted his shield to meet the blow. It slammed into his magic, the force rippling through his arm painfully enough for him to snap back, the shield breaking and disappearing as Jasper pulled back for another swing. He saw tears in her eyes, and, despite his fear, moved to counter her next attack. He lunged at her midsection, grabbing on to her and holding tightly, eyes shut. Her swing was stopped anyway, preventing her from striking him whether she wanted to or not, by Pearl.

She stood on shaking legs, holding on to Jasper's fist with her arms wrapped around the larger gem's arm desperately. She looked up at Jasper with a defiant, determined look despite the obvious pain tearing through her. She was breathing hard and shaking, barely able to stand at all, yet somehow she found the strength to hang on to Jasper with everything she had left. Steven was clinging to her as well, but his hold was not one to restrain or cause harm.

He was simply hugging her.

"Jasper, you're you! You're okay!" He cried, his delight at seeing a corrupted gem being restored blinding him to any idea of being enemies. He was honestly happy for her, and it seemed like nothing, not even her trying to squash him like a bug, was going to take away from that. It meant so much more than just their conflict, after all, and the amount of hope just seeing her like this restored in him was immeasurable. In her way, unknowing as it was, she healed him, as well.

Her legs buckled, and Jasper fell to her knees. It just made hugging her easier, and Steven renewed his hold on her, leaping up to hug her neck instead of her midsection now. He dangled, still very small in comparison to her, but he seemed perfectly content and even swung his feet. Pearl fell forward as Jasper dropped her arms, bumping against the others shoulder and slumping there. She was a bit stunned, but breathed a sigh of relief, even going as far as to place her hand lightly on Jasper's arm. Reassuring.

Jasper hardly knew what to think, her shock causing her to kneel there, while her two enemies offered her comfort and understanding.


	7. Chapter 7

Steven let go of Jasper only when his arms were too tired to cling to her any more. He dropped off of her neck and flopped down on his butt, looking up at her with big, starry eyes. She frowned down at him, not understanding him any better for that look than she had the entire duration of the hug.

Something seemed to click in his head, though, and he leaped to his feet suddenly.

"Lapis and Peridot!" he yelped, looking at Jasper as if she was suppose to do something. "They took her! Lapis! Do you know where they went?"

"No," Jasper growled. She moved to stand, but Pearl was still leaning against her arm, and sagged a bit with the movement. It made her pause, realizing the damaged Pearl was asleep, and using her as a pillow. Not that Gems needed that sort of thing, but those sort of facts did not seem to matter at the moment. She remained still, not having anywhere to go in that moment, anyway.

Ultimately, she was too confused to go anywhere. She'd been corrupted and now, because of the work of people she vowed to hate, she was herself again. She had no cause to fight that was calling to her, and the voice that had filled her mind with hatred and a need for revenge had quieted. She closed her eyes, thinking of it and growling again.

"Someone was commanding us."

"Commanding you? I thought you were doing the commanding?" Pearl's voice drifted up to Jasper's ears, weary and pained. She put her hands on Jaspers arm and gently pushed away from it, looking apologetic, but also like she was going to fall over if left unsupported. Jasper hesitated, almost reaching her hand to steady the damaged Pearl, but made no move. Steven moved to support Pearl instead, letting her lean on him. She thanked him breathlessly, struggling to stay awake.

"No, there was a voice. Not a voice. A feeling. Something. In our heads. It made us follow, told us to capture the Fusion. The other one left us no choice. Lapis Lazuli and Peridot, as well. Likely, they have ambushed Peridot while she was chasing after Lapis, and taken them both." Jasper had no reason not to tell them and, in a way, felt like she owed them for… whatever it was they did to cure her. Her head felt foggy and heavy, anyway, and perhaps that went some distance in keeping her temper squashed.

"We have to go and find them," Pearl said, struggling to get to her feet. Steven supported her, but he could do little when her knees buckled and she sank back down to the floor. Her arm on the side where Jasper had bitten her was hanging limply, and Steven was not even sure if she could use it.

"You have to stay here. I'll find them! I'll bring them all back!"

"Steven, no, it's far too dangerous. You saw how powerful those corrupted gems are-"

"And you're too hurt to help!" Steven rarely interrupted Pearl, let alone yelled at her, but now he was doing both. She was stunned into silence, eyes searching his and finding only resolve staring back at her. One she recognized all too well. "I'm going to find them and bring them back, and you're going to stay here and not do anything so I don't worry about you! Jasper, can you make sure she's safe?"

"What?" Jasper growled, eying him suspiciously, then turning her gaze to the damaged Pearl. She snorted in contempt, turning her head away. "No."

"Please!"

"No! I am not a traitor like you all! I'm not going to help you. My repayment for curing me is to simply not destroy you now, though I have the chance. That should be more than enough. Get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Jasper rose to her feet, towering over the other two. Pearl was inspired enough to get up again, this time managing to keep her feet under her, shaking as she stood protectively in front of Steven and held herself as tall as she could to stand up to Jasper. Her eyes were dark and dimmed significantly, the pain she was in apparent in not only her body language, but her heavy breathing and grimaces.

Jasper curled her lip as she regarded the Pearl bitterly. This was the renegade Pearl that defied all orders, that became a feared killer and expert warrior, to serve the murderous traitor that shattered Pink Diamond. It was almost too much, and Jasper felt her anger flooding back to her. She clenched her fists, stepping toward the two. Pearl held her good hand out in front of Steven, as if she could possibly shield him in this state.

She still stood there, as defiant as ever. She still tried. She fought, with pride and with love, and she refused to give up. Jasper stood in front of her, shifting her gaze down to Steven, who was not exactly hiding behind his protector and staring up at Jasper with a tearful, hopeful look on his face. Somehow, he could read Jasper better than she anticipated. Better than she even understood herself. Snarling, she grabbed Pearl by the front of her shirt, hauling her up off the ground effortless and throwing her over her shoulder.

"Fine." Jasper mumbled, not making eye contact with Steven now, "Go away from the mouth of the valley, toward the further canyons. I don't know the exact location we were meant to take them: the voice was feeding us instructions as we moved. We knew only what we needed to know, at the time, to stay focused."

Pearl felt a rush of embarrassment as she draped over Jasper's shoulder, her face lost in the thick mane of hair the massive Quartz warrior sported. She struggled to pull her face to the side, so she could speak without drowning.

"Steven, you can't possibly be serious-"

"LION!" Steven yelled, bouncing away from Jasper and waiting for his faithful, if not a little lazy, companion came running over. Lion slowed to a stop, bumping his nose into Steven's hand and holding his face there, looking up at Steven with not discernible thought on his face. Steven hopped onto Lion's back after patting him affectionately, grinning at Jasper. Pearl could not see what was going on, kicking one leg feebly but not gaining anything for the effort. "Please take good care of her, Jasper! I'll be back with all the others soon!"

"Steven!" Pearl yelped, but she heard the lion's paws beating heavily over the ground, moving away from them quickly. Jasper started walking after a moment, carrying Pearl along with her while barely noticing her presence. She carried the damaged Pearl to a large tree with gnarled roots digging through big rocks that jutted from the ground. The tree had no right being alive in this terrain, as rocky as it was and as thin as the earth here was, but it persisted stubbornly. Its roots spread out broadly, digging into any patches of earth it could find within the tangle of rocks, creating a strange weave of thick, protective roots that doubled as a shelter.

For animals to sleep in or, in this case, for Gems to hide in.

Jasper dropped Pearl unceremoniously, making her cry out in pain and surprise as she hit the ground. Jasper walked away, leaving her in the hollow of the tree, where it was dark, yet oddly warm. Pearl groaned, struggling just to turn herself over so she could rest on her back. She fell to sleep while laying there after the exertion, though she hardly noticed until she was startled awake by Jasper returning. It was much darker now, and Pearl was unsure how long it had been.

"Steven?" she asked, trying and failing to sit up.

"Not back yet," Jasper grunted. She kneeled next to Pearl anyway, though, and helped her sit up against the roots with a surprisingly gentle touch. She was so large, her hands so dangerous, it was strange for Pearl to feel such a light touch from something designed only to destroy. She was closer to Jasper than she had been in a very long time, barring being carried like a sack of potatoes earlier that day.

"Jasper…"

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say, traitor," Jasper snapped, catching the tone Pearl was leading with. She moved away from Pearl at that, sitting across the dark cave of roots and folding her arms over her chest.

"I suppose I don't blame you," Pearl sighed, exhaustion settling over her heavily, despite falling to sleep not too long ago. She felt drained of all energy, and even speaking was making it difficult to keep her eyes open. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, and that in itself was enough to fill her with a creeping, lingering fear she just could not shake. Every time her eyelids drooped, or her vision unfocused, that fear grew. "She never meant to hurt you. Anyone."

"I said," Jasper barked, emphasizing each word with a dangerous weight, "I don't want to hear it."

"She never wanted to hurt Pink Diamond."

"Shut up!" Jasper lunged forward suddenly, running on her hands and feet across the short distance to reach Pearl. She seized Pearl by the throat, hauling her up and slamming her in to the rocky roots behind them. Pearl whimpered in pain, hanging helplessly and limply in Jasper's tight grip. Piercing yellow eyes stared up at her, as wild as when she had been a beast. Maybe she was not much different, even now. "You have no right to say her name! Your traitorous leader destroyed my diamond! Yet you act as if you're the good guys! You betrayed everyone! You shattered your kind! For what? This planet? These meat bags you play with? You ruined everything!"

Pearl gripped Jasper's arm with one hand, though even her good hand was weak. She shut her eyes each time Jasper shook her, pain tearing through her in waves that had no chance to end before the next, even more agonizing one started. Her whole body was ringing, and tears were spilling down her cheeks as she struggled to keep her eyes open and look at Jasper directly. Her tears were not for the pain, though, and she gasped out what she could of a reply.

"She loved Pink Diamond. So did I. All she ever wanted to do was save her."

"Save her?! Is that what you call it when you shatter someone? You're so blinded by your ideals, you think you're actually doing good when you take a gem out of existence? How hypocritical, how delusional can you really be?!"

"She… she was like you, Jasper. Pink… Pink Diamond…." Pearl's tenuous grasp on consciousness was slipping, made more vividly evident as her literal grasp on Jasper's arm slipped. Her hand fell away limply, her head lulling forward in Jasper's grip. The warrior gem held on to the unconscious Pearl for a long moment, unsure what to do or think. Her emotions were not done boiling over, but the recipient of her rage and sorrow was no longer up for the task of bearing that weight. She pulled her hands away, dropping Pearl to the floor, and recoiled away from her as if burned.

Jasper heard the voice whispering, calling. It was distant, not like it had been before, no longer seeping into her limbs and guiding her, but still in her mind. It spoke in feelings, filling her mind with images of anger, of revenge, of pain. She saw herself, huddling in the darkness of the tree, and the area around them. She saw Pearl, unconscious yet somehow still terrible. Pink Diamond rang out, her beautiful face clear in Jasper's mind, though it was twisted and ugly as it screamed in pain and betrayal. The entire image shattered, drench in a deep, shimmering Rose color before everything faded, and she was left alone in the cave. She opened her eyes, getting to her feet and hurrying to the entrance to the little den.

The corrupted quartz knew where they were.

She stood, looking back at Pearl. It would be easy to leave her there, unconscious and vulnerable. The corrupted beast would take her where ever it wanted to go, and Jasper would be done with them all. Let them sort this trouble out. But she would never know who was guiding her, who was showing her those images and making her feel that way. Who had freed her from the Temple. Used her, but also saved her. Much like the Pearl, who had more than one chance to shatter Jasper through this all, but had not taken any of them. Like it or not, Jasper was too wrapped up in all of this to back out now. She growled, hurrying to Pearl and picking her up, tossing her over her shoulder again.

This time, Pearl made no protest. It was a lot easier when the gem was out like a light.

Jasper left the safety of the den, hoping that if they moved fast enough, the Quartz would lose track of them. Whoever was in Jasper's mind had to lose their grip, now that she was no longer corrupted. At least, that was how Jasper was hoping it worked. They could not keep running from someone that always knew where they were. Would always know. For now, though, it was the only option they had.

Jasper ran.

Leaping over rocks and scattered tripping hazards of the underbrush, she left the den behind quickly. She moved with lightning speed, but was forced to a stop when a corrupted beast dropped from the trees ahead of her. It snarled and she skidded to a stop, bent down and crouching defensively. She shifted Pearl from her shoulder to her arm, holding her close. Pearl was the target here, moreso than Jasper herself, but she had no intention of handing her over.

Since the conversation was forced on her, she had a lot of questions that needed answering.


End file.
